The fact that it's still possible to trial NVA equipment on loan by going to other forums is entirely beside the point. The point is:

1) The loan scheme has been good for TAS and its membership.

2) The process through which it's effectively been shut-down appears to have been, at the least, underhand and mean-spirited.

There is no ban on discussing NVA gear here, so borrow it direct from the manufacturer, open a thread and talk about it here.
A minor difference.

You keep missing the point....
It was always possible to discuss NVA here and to loan stuff direct from NVA.

What is troubling many of us is the way a secret cabal has brought about a major policy change here with no discussion, explanation or transparency.

NVA kit is still available for loan if you send DSJR a PM.

There are also other vendors who give a 30 day return.
Yes, you pay up front but you could send it back before the card bill even hits.

Being a TAS member gives any vendor a helpful inkling of the sort of loanee asking for kit.

TAS is one of the very few forums even discussing NVA

Disappointed. Thought TAS had bigger balls.

Only two comments to make:

1) I can't see what valid objections anyone could have. Any trade individual has the same right to put forward whatever. It's not as if NVA is being given some special consideration. And I can't see what any private individual could have to complain about.

2) If individuals are going to complain over such an issue now - what are they likely to complain about and find fault with in the future?

The NVA loan scheme has actually caused me a lot of grief from the time I borrowed the BMU. Regardless, of the positive review I gave it, and I have not changed my mind on what I wrote (now copied and pasted on the NVA forum), I have been subjected to continuous abuse from Richard Dunn on his forum. I have explained on another thred here my falling out with RD which led me to look elsewhere for a similar product which resulted in my subsequent alternative purchase. Around the same time I fell out with RD, I was banned from the NVA forum, denying me any right of reply. Since that time, he has continued on his forum to acuse me of tampering with the BMU when I had it and now accuses me of conspiring with pre65 to bring about this admin decision here to bring the loan scheme to an end. At no time did I tamper with the BMU, but I did take advantage of the 13 amp modular socket pulling out to have a limited look inside, as previously recorded in the BMU alternative thread which included my observations on what I saw, all of course IMHO. Furthermore, the faulty socket was revealed by MartinT when he trialled the BMU, being the first within this scheme to trial it and recording his finding in his review, the first published on it.

Read Richard Dunn's latest paranoia on this here. hifisubjectivist.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=46412&start=2330

After I borrowed the BMU, I handed it over in person (therefore no risk of damage in transit) to alaska. Maybe he can confirm that on his receipt, all panels on the unit were secure. I did warn him by text afterwards about the loose plug socket.

No doubt others here might have considered I could be involved in canvassing our admin to close the scheme considering my history with the proprietor of NVA, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have not sent a single email or PM to any of the admin team (infact I have never contacted any of them privately on any matter whatsoever) as I have no opposition to the loan scheme. Maybe Martin or someone else can confirm that. I remain a supporter of the original loan scheme believing it most easily facilitates the beneficial opportunity of sampling kit in the home system which really is the only way to trial kit properly. Furthermore, I have absolutely no problem with anything RD manufactures and sells. He produces some very good and affordable equipment, some of which I would be interested in sampling, but apparently I am now on RD's black list so there is little likelihood of that happening. Just a word of caution, if you borrow and trial an NVA product and subsequently publish any negative comments about anything unsatisfactory you might find with the product, you are likely, based on my experience to be subjected to public attack and false allegations about what you did with that product. In communication with  dsjr, I invited Richard Dunn to formally report my apparent tampering to the Police as what he alleges constitutes Criminal Damage or an attempt to cause Criminal Damage. I would welcome a proper investigation. I'm still waiting...........

I have no idea who has been involved in canvassing admin to bring the loan scheme to a close, but here's something to consider. Most manufacturers rely on dealerships to demonstrate and sell their products and they have a vested interest in keeping dealerships in business. NVA presents a challenge because it is a successful Hi-Fi product business which does not use dealers, selling direct and through eBay, mostly relying on reputation and word of mouth recommendation. Furthermore, RD considers the middleman dealer in very low regard, believes they have no future and actively campaigns on his forum to encourage their demise and in particular to accuse them all of dishonest marketing. Maybe these are the people who presented our admin with the opposition to the scheme?

Bump......

Look at the title of this thread; it references the "loan scheme" and not the "NVA loan scheme" which is what it became in a lot of peoples minds when no other manufacturer would join it.  And when you hang the "NVA" tag on anything the bloke who holds the axe grinding concession knows he's in for a spot of overtime.  The discussion should be about the loss of the loan scheme, regardless (fat bloody chance) who was or wasn't taking part.

I'd also like to take a moment to point out that I said "seemingly elite" and used that phrase purely to make the point that it seems, from what's been said, a guerilla campaign by a secret minority was allowed to influence the forum owners in total disregard of the feelings of the silent majority here, although some of that majority is not so silent now.  If that is the case then I can only surmise that in their own minds they must think they're elite, because they put one over on us ordinary blokes (and blokesses, if there are any,) and the forum owners.

I must stress that there will be no witch hunt and there are no such 'elite' members either!

When the dust has settled you will see that we tried to do something that felt right but it didn't work out.  Sorry.  The fact is, no other vendor would join the scheme.  Rather than bury it we've been entirely open about it.  There is no hidden agenda and if you must insist on there being a conspiracy then that is your prerogative, but it doesn't make it true.